18: Warmth

The morning sun pierced through the faint mist, casting its rays on Lin Feng, and the sight before him weighed heavily on his heart; the devastation shown in the principal's projection was now laid out before his eyes in an even more shocking manner.

The once familiar streets were unrecognizable.

The asphalt road was ripped up by immense force, like skin torn by a giant beast, and the doors and windows of the shops on both sides were shattered, glass shards glinting ominously in the morning sun; several office buildings were cut in half, their reinforced concrete skeletons twisted and pointing towards the misty sky.

The air was thick with the choking mixture of gunpowder, blood, and dust.

Occasionally, City Defense Force soldiers could be seen patrolling among the ruins, their heavy footsteps echoing in the deathly silence, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

The closer he got to his home, the tighter Lin Feng's heart clenched.

The old community where he lived, once the most inconspicuous corner of the city, had now become the epicenter of the disaster.

The buildings here were already dilapidated, a weak point in the city's patrols, and more likely to hide lawbreakers.

Under the rampage of The Fallen, this old community now resembled a sandcastle repeatedly pulverized by a giant hammer.

The broken walls were covered with huge claw marks and the residual imprints of professional energy explosions, and several low-rise residential buildings had completely collapsed, becoming piles of rubble.

Broken furniture, blood-stained clothes, and even congealed dark red bloodstains were scattered on the streets.

Traces of battle were everywhere, every piece of damage silently narrating the fierce fighting that had taken place not long ago.

"Dad! Mom!"

Lin Feng's heart leaped to his throat, and fear instantly gripped him.

He rushed frantically towards the direction of his home in his memory!

The sight before him filled him with panic; the once simple but warm home was now just a crumbling half-wall and a pile of ruins.

"Hey! You over there! Stop! Do not approach the dangerous area..."

A hoarse but stern voice stopped him.

Several City Defense Force soldiers, dressed in uniforms covered in dust and blood, emerged from a relatively intact temporary shelter, watching him warily.

Lin Feng quickly identified himself, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"I am Lin Feng! I live here! My parents..."

The leading sergeant looked him up and down a few times, his tense expression relaxing slightly, replaced by a hint of weary relief.

"Lin Feng? Oh, you are that... Weiyang No. 1 High School student? Don't worry, your parents are fine; we organized an evacuation in time when the battle broke out."

"The structure of this old district is too poor, and The Fallen attacked fiercely... Alas, it is a blessing to have survived."

He pointed to a temporary area set up with blue tarpaulin and metal frames not far away.

"The resettlement point is over there, go quickly. Your school teachers have already been here, and your parents know you are fine, but they are still very worried about you."

His suspended heart finally dropped, Lin Feng thanked him and hurried into the resettlement point.

Inside the resettlement point, filled with the smell of disinfectant, sweat, and suppressed sobs, Lin Feng passed tent after tent until he saw those two familiar figures in an open tent.

At this moment, his mother was sitting on a simple cot, unconsciously caressing an old water cup, her eyes hollow as she stared at the ground.

His father leaned beside her, silently smoking, his brows furrowed, his face etched with the weariness of life and the daze of having survived a catastrophe.

"Dad! Mom!"

Lin Feng rushed over, his voice choked.

"Xiao Feng!"

His mother suddenly looked up, her cloudy eyes instantly brightened, and she stood up to hug him tightly, tears finally breaking free.

"It's good you're back, it's good you're back... you scared Mom to death..."

His father also threw away his cigarette butt, his throat bobbed a few times, eventually only turning into a heavy sigh.

"It's good that you are fine."

The family reunited in the simple but safe temporary dwelling, the relief of surviving intertwined with an unshakeable sorrow.

His mother bravely pulled herself together, taking out a treasured, still warm lunchbox, which contained breakfast she had carefully prepared with temporary rations.

Although simple, it was filled with the deepest love.

Lin Feng devoured his food, the warmth of home temporarily dispelling the cruelty of the outside world.

At noon, the sun cast mottled shadows indoors through the gaps in the tarpaulin.

Lin Feng lay on the cot in the simple tent, thinking about how to quickly improve his strength next.

There were many instances in the city's training halls where professionals could level up, but these instances were not free; instead, they required different fees depending on their level and difficulty.

His family's situation... As he was thinking, Lin Feng's phone, placed by his bed, vibrated urgently, and the name "Wang Yin" flashed on the screen.

"Damn! Brother Feng! You are so unfair! So damn unfair!"

Wang Yin's characteristic loud voice almost burst through the receiver, and faint sounds of commotion and noise could be heard in the background, indicating that he had not yet returned home, and might have just come out of the Dire Wolf Den.

"Soloing the easy-level Dire Wolf Den? And even clearing the normal-level?! You are already this powerful! And you did not even bring your brother! That's not cool! That's really not cool at all!"

Lin Feng moved his phone a little further away, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up.

He was all too familiar with Wang Yin's boisterous "accusations"; they were entirely wrapped in genuine concern and excited happiness for him.

"Alright, alright, stop yelling."

"I was able to clear it so quickly all thanks to Qin Yuyan's help."

"Qin Yuyan?"

Wang Yin's voice rose eight octaves, full of disbelief.

"She really has feelings for you? Hehe, Brother Feng is mighty, you easily won over the campus belle!"

"What are you thinking?! She just lent me a four-star pet egg and a Silver-level armor."

"Silver-level armor?! Qin Yuyan's family is really rich! Brother Feng, it seems you are destined to be a kept man!"

"Get lost!"

The two chatted on the phone for a while longer.

After hanging up, Lin Feng looked out the window; the setting sun was like blood, illuminating the scarred city.

The most important thing now was to improve his strength!

The Gold-level Alien Queen seemed to have decent strength, but in the face of true danger, Gold-level was still too low.

"Dad, Mom, I am going out for a bit."

Lin Feng sat up, his eyes becoming resolute.

"You just got back, where are you going now?" his mother asked worriedly.

"To the city's exchange."

Lin Feng pulled out the Black Iron Level Tier 1 magic crystal he had obtained in the instance from his pocket; it glowed with a reddish luster in the dim light.

"Sell this for some money, and then..."

He paused, his gaze directed towards the central area of Weiyang City, where tall buildings stood, mostly untouched by the attacks of The Fallen.

"No! You are not going anywhere today; you will stay home with me and your dad."

His mother's voice, though gentle, carried an undeniable sternness.

Lin Feng's father also walked over.

"Xiao Feng, do not go out today; stay home and keep your mom company. Last night..."

Lin Feng naturally would not refuse his parents' request.

The three of them! A family!

They just sat quietly at home, no one speaking, enjoying their undisturbed, peaceful time.

The night passed without a word.

The next day, Lin Feng again proposed going to the city center; this time, his mother no longer asked him to stay... Stepping out of the temporary resettlement point, above the ruins, beneath the morning sun, Lin Feng slowly walked towards the city's core area, which symbolized power and resources.

The sign of the exchange flickered in the distance, and further away, the training ground's iconic rotating gate, like a giant energy core, was swallowing and spitting out awakened ones entering and leaving.

New challenges lay ahead...